All That You Can't Leave Behind
by uprising
Summary: A storysequel to the Giver which takes off immediately after Jonas and Gabe finish their ride down the hill. More to come soon. Please R&R.
1. Never The Same

"Hey! Are you alright?"   
  
The old man's voice sliced through the air. Jonas looked up from Gabe, to see the old man, dressed in a thick blue coat and red hat running towards him.   
  
"What the hell are you doing out here!?"  
  
Jonas gazed at him, mesmerized. Had he found his way to another community? No..he wasn't dressed like that. Was this Elsewhere?  
  
"Well, speak up!"  
  
Jonas snapped back to reality.  
  
"Aah..Hello."  
  
He had no idea what to say. How was he to know if this man knew anything about his community? The community seemed so far away now that Jonas wasn't even sure it existed. The only reminder of it was his clothes, which the man had now noticed.  
  
"Wait a second..you're..you're one of them, aren't you!?"   
  
Jonas was shocked. One of them? He apparently knew about the communities.  
  
"I guess I should take you into town, then. Come on, follow me."  
  
Jonas, with the aid of the old man got to his feet. The two of them began to tredge through the heavy snow.   
  
"I wonder what he'll do to me?" Jonas thought. He didn't know what these people, the ones from Elsewhere, did to strangers. They could be savages, who knows? One thing he knew, was that he was relieved just to have seen a person. As much as he loved Gabrielle, he hadn't been much to talk to for the whole trip.  
  
The two of them walked maybe 300 feet, until they reached the old man's beat up blue truck. Jonas gazed up and down it's torn, beat up rusted edges. This vehicle came as a shock to him, he was used to the shiny brown delivery trucks back at the community.  
  
"Get in." The old man called in his rough, crackly voice.  
  
Jonas did as instructed, swinging open the door and entering the blue leather interior. The first thing he noticed was the smell. It was awful, as if this thing had been through many many years of use. The old man turned the key to the ignition, and the truck sputtered to life. The old man slowly pressed down on the gas pedal, and it inched forward, through the snow, until it eventually hit the road.  
  
"So," the old man broke the silence. "Whats your name?"  
  
"Jonas."  
  
"Grand. My name is James. And what about the kid? What is his name?"  
  
"His name is Gabe."  
  
"He your brother?"  
  
Jonas didn't know what to say. Jonas knew that he obviously wasn't, but he loved him like he was.   
  
"No, not really."  
  
"Oh..alright."  
  
The truck was heading up a very large hill. The snow had begun to fall again, thicker than before. Jonas stared up at the murky gray sky. It was strange. Even for how long he'd been out of the community, he was still amazed by the sky. He was used to the normal blue, sunny weather back home. He also found it weird how he referred to the community as home. It obviously was his home, but he hated in a way that no one should hate their birth place.  
  
Jonas' thoughts now wandered to the people at his home, if you can call it that. He thought about Fiona. Had she heard the news? Had she recieved any of the emotions Jonas had released? What about Lily? Or his mother and father? He hoped that he had given Lily a memory of an elephant, but not the one of an elephant being poached. He figured she would be quite intrigued by knowing that animals do actually exist. He also thought of The Giver. Was he thinking of Jonas now, too? Was the community changing? Jonas was dieing too know.  
  
The truck pulled over the hill. Jonas looked down from the sky, which he had been staring at this whole time. The scene which greeted him shocked him. He saw a town in absolute ruins. Mounds of rubble lie everywhere, some buidling were still have standing. A sign a rusted green sign hanging over the road read "Welcome to Milan. Population, 20,000"  
  
"Home sweet home" said James, the old man. He sped up slightly.  
  
Within moments Jonas and James had reached the inside of the city. He saw a giant fire burning in the very center of an intersection, surrounded on all sides by half standing buildings. Jonas also saw a plethora of scraggily clothed people. At some places around the fire sat some tarps, standing up on trees. Underneath these sat more people. To Jonas' right, he saw a man sitting with an instrument he recongized to be a guitar. Although Jonas could not hear what was coming from it, he knew that it was used to produce music. He was estatic to hear it.  
  
James pulled the truck up, maybe 50 feet from the fire, and turned it off.  
  
"Alright, we're here. Get it out."  
  
Jonas opened the door and stepped down onto the ground.  
  
He knew things would never be the same again. 


	2. Milan

James lead Jonas down the avenue, and into one of the buildings that was still standing. Jonas looked around, clutching Gabe, in awe. He had never seen conditions like this before. How could these people stand to live like this? He was beginning to question whether this was right. He had been comfortable at home - he wasn't cold, or hungry, or tired. But then he really what he had gained by coming here.  
  
He had gained the feeling of being alive.  
  
Before, it was all just a monotone blur or repetition. Then, he had become the Receiver of Memory, and it had all changed.   
  
Jonas now knew the feeling of being free, of making choices.  
  
Coming to this place- Milan, they called it, had been his choice. Had it been a right choice? He believed so. Perhaps his leaving had caused a change in the community. He could only hope so. Or else, this would have all been in vain..other than saving Gabrielle.  
  
Jonas and James continued down a corridor, all the while Jonas was clutching Gabe. Finally, they enter a large room- it looked like a gym, where a number of people were gathered. Jonas estimated about 50 people were in there. The three of them forced their way to the front, were a man was standing behind a fire burning inside.  
  
"Who is this, James?" inquired the man.  
  
"I found him outside, by the hill."  
  
"Is he..?"  
  
"I believe so."  
  
The man now looked at Jonas.  
  
"What is your name?"  
  
Jonas was getting tired of being asked this, but he politely replied.  
  
"Jonas, and this is Gabrielle, or Gabe."  
  
"Very well. I am Aaron."  
  
Jonas now finally began to take in the features of the man he was looking at. He seemed to be mid-aged, in his upper fourties. His thick black hair was beginning to bald, and his scruffy beard slightly reminded Jonas of the Giver. Aaron looked rather strong.  
  
"Some may call me the leader of this place, of Milan," Aaron began, "and I know that the sign says population 20,000, but that was before the war. We now have around 300 people living here.  
  
Jonas was terribly confused. The war? "The war? What do you mean?" He inquired.  
  
"You will find out soon, Jonas. First, I must make sure of something about you."  
  
"Alright.."  
  
At this point, James and went and took a seat next to an older woman, most likely his wife.  
  
"Are you from on the communities to the east?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"..Do you know what color is?"  
  
It was then when Jonas peered up at Aaron's face. He immediately find himself gazing at Aaron's eyes.  
  
They were the same as his.  
  
"Y-yes, I do." Jonas stuttered.  
  
"Very well..I could tell from your eyes. You are able to See Beyond."  
  
"That's what they told me, sir. I was the Receiver of Memory, in my community."  
  
"I understand. I once came from a community, most likely not unlike yours, although I was never chosen to be the receiver."  
  
"Did all these other people come from communities?"  
  
"Oh, no. These people are remnants."  
  
"Remnants?" Jonas had no idea what that meandt.  
  
"You will find out soon enough. I still need to find out more. How did you get here?"  
  
"I rode my father's bicycle."  
  
"I see..for the child seat, I presume?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Is this boy..Gabe..your brother?"  
  
"No..he was a new-born scheduled for release..or, execution."  
  
"I see..so you know about that too. I'm assuming you probably know alot about the outside world, since you were the Receiver."  
  
"I learned a lot from the memories I was given.  
  
"I see. Now..take a seat,I shall tell you the story of the outside world." 


	3. Armageddeon

Jonas sat down on an upright log beneath him, gazing at Aaron as he began the story.  
  
"Long ago, there were many great nations in the world," he began, gazing down at his feet as if telling this story pained him in some way. Jonas was reminded of the way the Giver looked on those days when he was in too much pain to work with Jonas.  
  
"For a time, these nations agreed on a mutual peace. There were no wars, and the countries helped each other." A crowd had now gathered around the fire where the two of them sat. Jonas turned around momentarily to look at the dirty, grittily dressed people. He was in awe.  
  
"But as we all know," James continued, looking around, "Nothing can stay perfect forever."  
  
'Funny,' Jonas thought. Staying perfect forever was the premise of the community in which he had once lived. But as hard as they try, it wasn't perfect. Jonas had made it imperfect.  
  
"Before long, countries began to grow tired of each other. Tempers began to flare." James voice was growing cold and distant. "Some countries began to refuse to trade with each other, and soon before minor scuffles began to happen on their borders."  
  
Jonas knew what this was. It was war.  
  
"And then one day, one country - it's name lost in the sands of time- declared full out war upon another one. Soldiers marched upon it, and soon that country had fallen. Before long, that country had taken over many countries, but then it was decided it must be stopped. An alliance of countries was formed, known as the Congregation. The Congregation opposed war, but they realized that the only way to stop war was with war."  
  
Jonas was shocked by all of this, mostly by the grim statement at the end of Aaron's speech.  
  
"And then, some countries began to side with the Congregation's enemies - they called themselves 'The Ethos'. And before long, the Ethos and the Congregation were at full-fledged war with each other. The war was fought mostly by soldiers, and many people died. The war went on for many years, most likely over 20. The Congregation found themselves losing the war steadily. They began to create giant underground facilities in which to hide."  
  
Jonas turned around once more. Atleast 150 people had gathered in the small building where he sat, and of them staring intently at Jonas and Aaron.  
  
"And then, on the 'day of the last', the entire population of the Congregation hid underneath the ground. By this time, the Ethos forces had surrounded the Congregation's capital city. It was their last hour. At the moment of sunrise that day, hundreds of vastly powerful weapons pummeled the Earth from every angle. The Congregation was forced to bomb their own cities, because of The Ethos forces within them. The only spot which they didn't bomb was the place you came from - the communities."  
  
Jonas found himself unable to speak.  
  
"After a year underground, the Congregation's survivor traveled through a fast tunnel system to the area which they had not bombed- they called it the Promised Land. But you see, during that time underneath the Earth, the Congregation's leaders had devised a system. They called it 'The Utopia Project'. The results of which is your community. The leaders new that if humanity continued as it was, it would destroy itself. They had only one choice: to start a new."  
  
Aaron's words were echoing of the walls. It was obvious now to Jonas that this story was not told very often.  
  
"They announced over the loudspeaker that there would be a giant party that night, to celebrate the Congregation victory - keep in mind they were still underground at this point - and instructed that all children under 9 years old could be dropped off with the elders to be taken care of. The adults that night, went out into one chamber specific to party. But that night.."  
  
Aaron swallowed hard.  
  
"The 'leaders' of the Congregation released gas into the chamber in which they were gathered. They all died. Those who didn't go to the celebration were left to die underground."  
  
"Why!?" Jonas quickly blurted out.  
  
"They knew of hate. They knew of pain..of discriminations, of love and color..and all the things that were hurling humanity  
  
into it's downward spiral. But now the council of around 20 elders were left with around 200 small children, most of them around 6. They would have preferred to start with newborns, but there weren't enough. With the 200 children, the leaders - now proclaiming themselves the Elders, they headed above ground, to the new Utopia they had created. They wrote the rule book. They built the first community, devised the system. Utopia had been created."  
  
"But they forgot about those left behind. The Remnants. They presumed that the few people they left under ground would not be able to get out of this labryinth they created..but they did. They moved far far away from the Utopia, to where we are now. They are our ancestors..well, except for you and I, Jonas. We are of the blood of the same people who destroyed Earth as it used to be.  
  
"How long ago was this?" Jonas asked  
  
"Almost 150 years ago." Aaron replied.  
  
"I see.."   
  
But still one queston was left burning in Jonas' mind.  
  
"Why?" 


	4. Adapting

Jonas' mind was set aflame. He couldn't comprehend, why..or how..he couldn't comprehend anything. The fact that anyone could be angered enough to the point where he would want to kill another man was so alien to him. And now from the war his thoughts shifted to the community. The blind, ignorant community. They lived a watered-down life, they knew nothing of the grim reality that lay outside their community. He didn't understand..  
  
"Jonas?" James' voice cracked through the air, brining Jonas back to reality.  
  
"Oh..oh..sorry." He replied.  
  
"Yes, anyway. I'm sure this is very shocking to you. Regardless, it is quite late now and I suppose you and Gabe are quite tired, so you'll be staying with me tonight."  
  
"That's all right..we can manage on our own. We made it this far."  
  
"I insist, stay with me. We need to talk some more. Now come on, follow me. Bring Gabe."  
  
Jonas nodded and then rose from his seat, clutching Gabe. James led him out the same way he had come in. The snow was falling heavily outside, and it was dark and hard to see. They walked a short distance to the east of the of the large intersection in the middle of Milan, when they reached a half destroyed building. On the front wall of the building it read "Ed's TV and Radio Repair". The structure itself looked fairly stable, but it was missing it's top floor. James walked forward to it's door and knocked once. In a few seconds it opened swiftly, and Jonas was greeted with the smiling face of a young girl. She stood slightly under his height, and looked to be about his age. Her hair hung slightly below her shoulders, and Jonas recongized it's color to be 'chestnut.'   
  
"Hey Dad!" The young girl said, excitedly.  
  
"Hello, Amber." James said, walking inside. He motioned to Jonas' to follow,  
  
As Jonas entered the room he was greeted by the sweet smell of corn. Jonas was slightly comforted by this, but still not comfortable. He peered further into the room, where he saw an older woman tending a pot cooking over an open fire. She smiled and stood up.  
  
"Is this..?" She whispered.  
  
"Yes, this is. Amber, Liz, this is Jonas. Jonas, this is Amber, my daughter.." he motioned to the young girl. "..and this is Liz, my wife."  
  
They waved.  
  
"Hi.." Jonas said, forcing a smile.  
  
Jonas felt so strange in this cold, brick room. It was warmer than any where he had ever been..  
  
He felt something.  
  
"Supper is almost ready, James."  
  
Was it love?  
  
"Jonas, would you like some corn?" He heard James voice but it didn't register.  
  
It couldn't be. But he could tell, the way this family cared for each other. They'd die for each other. Jonas yearned for that..  
  
..he just wanted to live.  
  
"Jonas?"  
  
"Oh! Yes, yes please."  
  
Liz, James' wife, handed Jonas a wooden bowl with some corn in it. He was puzzled, he didn't know how they'd grow corn in such a harsh climate.  
  
"How'd you get this?"  
  
It was a rude question to ask, but he wasn't in the community any more.  
  
"Oh..heh.." James began. "Well, to put it simply, we steal it."  
  
"What? From who?" Jonas asked.  
  
"We steal it from the communities. We just started last year, that's why there was a small error in the food production statistics, I assume."  
  
"Yes, I remember something about that."  
  
"Indeed. But just lately, we sent a team of about 3 young men to go steal some food..and they haven't come back. It's been about 1 week, and they're normally back within 4 days."  
  
"That's odd. Perhaps they froze to death?"  
  
"It's possible, but.."  
  
James glared at Liz, who was absentmindly braiding Amber's hair.  
  
"Ah, we must talk later. This is not something to speak of at the dinner table!"  
  
And with that James stuck another spoonful of stolen corn down his throat.  
  
[Author Note: Hehe..I'M BACK! Yeah, I kind of lost interest, but after reading the Giver one more time, my interest has flared once more. Hopefully I'll stick with it this time. Thanks for the good reviews!] 


End file.
